Orthodox Churches

Promotion of the “Construction Work in the Metropolis of Gjirokastra" Publication

A Spiritual Encounter with Archbishop Anastasios: Promotion of the “Construction Work in the Metropolis of Gjirokastra" Publication

On Saturday, August 13, in Gjirokastra, a meeting was held for the promotion of Volume II of the book "Construction Work in the Metropolis of Gjirokastra 1992-2015" a publication of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania. The event which was organized under the auspices of His Grace Demetrios, Metropolitan of Gjirokastra had in its focus the publication and the presentation of the content of the publication. The event was a dedication to the Archbishop of Tirana, Durres and All Albania, Archbishop Anastasios which eventually turned into a good opportunity for remembering the entire 25 year journey since Archbishop’s arrival in Albania. The activity took place at the premises of Spirit of Love 9-year school, within a beautiful building next to the Resurrection of Christ Cathedral.

October 23 concert to benefit restoration of NYC’s St. Sava Cathedral

The Spirit of Orthodoxy Choir, under the direction of Aleksei V. Shipovalnikov and his associate Stratos Mandalakis, and the choirs of the Cathedral of the Incarnation, Garden City, NY, will present a concert to benefit New York City’s Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Cathedral, which was destroyed by fire on Pascha 2016.

Titled “From the East unto the West,” the concert will feature music from both the eastern and western Christian traditions. All proceeds will benefit the cathedral’s restoration fund.

Russian stars sign petition to ban abortion

In the wake of Patriarch Kirill, several famous Russian citizens immediately expressed their desire to sign the petition to ban abortion, reports the foundation for support of families, motherhood, and childhood, “Women for Life.”

Among those who without delay have supported the ban were State Duma Deputy Vitaly Milonov, adventurer and priest Feodor Konyukhov, singer Gregory Leps, TV hosts Oksana Fedorova and Boris Korchevnikov, Olympic boxing champion Evgeny Tischenko, and UFC champion Alexei Oleynik, and others.

Metropolitan Hilarion’s film ‘Orthodoxy in the British Isles’ to be shown in London

On 12 October 2016, the film will be shown at the Rossotrudnichestvo office in London on 37 Kensington High Street, FI 1^st at 07.00 p.m. as an event of the UK-Russia Year of Literature and Culture shortly before the visit of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia due to take place on October 15-18, 2016.

Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk is the author of the film directed by Valery Shekhovtsov.

The film recounts the history of Orthodoxy in the British Isles: conversion of the archipelago’s peoples to Christianity, development of Christian churches there before the division between East and West and today’s state of the Orthodox Church in Great Britain.

“Fundamentals of Orthodoxy” taught to over eighty percent of school students in Moscow region

The majority of fourth graders’ parents of Moscow region schools choose the “Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture” course for their children.

“When students start fourth grade their parents write a statement choosing a subject for them: ‘The Fundamentals of Secular Ethics’ or ‘The Fundamentals of Religious Knowledge.’ Over eighty percent in our region choose ‘The Fundamentals of Religious Knowledge,’” the Minister of Education of the Moscow region Marina Zakharova reported to journalists on Wednesday.

DECR vice-chairman meets with Special Representative of the French government

On October 4, 2016, Archimandrite Philaret (Bulekov), vice-chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations (DECR), met with Mr. Jean-Paul Chevenement, head of the Foundation for Islam in France and Special Representative of the French government to Russia for economic relations.